2022 High School Contest
Congratulations to the 2022 Best of the Best winner - Claire Hudnell, Lakeside High School, Hot Springs, Arkansas

For a list of previous Best of the Best winners, Click Here.
Watch the May 16, 2022 Ceremony (bottom of the page)
2022 NFPW National High School Communications Contest winners:
Editorial
First place – Ellie Armstrong, Kate Alvarado and Amelia Pozniak, Huntley High School, Huntley, Illinois, Credit Recovery: The Easy Way Out Second place -- The Kirkwood Call Staff, Kirkwood High School, St. Louis, Missouri, Call Ed: White people, you've had your rest| Third place – Panther Editorial Board, Newbury Park High School, Newbury Park, California,US Government Fails to Act After Countless Shootings Honorable mention – Taylor Swinton, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas, Eliminate Homework Honorable mention – Darian Pierre, Millard South High School, Omaha, Nebraska, FERPA amendment needed to better serve LGBT+ youth
Opinion
First place – Olivia Gaziano. Metea Valley High School, Aurora, Illinois, See Something, say something: administrators take no action Second place – Laura Zhang, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Vienna, Virginia, The Violence Against Asian American Women Needs to Stop Now Third place – Evelyn Parsonage, Ursuline Academy Chronicle. Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, Delaware entrant, The Importance of Local Art Galleries Honorable mention – Andy Robinson, Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, California, Lighting the Way Honorable mention – Magnolia Collins, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas, Ignorance Isn't Bliss Honorable mention – Taubah Elebute, Ben Davis High School, Indianapolis, Indiana, Healing takes time, patience Honorable mention – Harper Treschuk, Fairfield Ludlowe High School, Fairfield, Connecticut, In Place of “Gone with the Wind,” a New Book on the Old South Honorable mention – Harrison Hollingsworth, Sparkman High School, Madison, Alabama, New LGBTQ+ Flag Gives POC a Voice
News Story
First place – Gerson Melton, Har-Ber High School, Springdale, Arkansas, Students debate patriotism in wake of 'Star Spangled Banner Act' Second place – Sophia Pan, Maddie Pulliam and Ben Shapiro, Conestoga High School, Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Conestoga's Cutthroat Culture Third place – Jason Deng, Bellaire High School, Bellaire, Texas, Business booms for noodle room Honorable mention – Ed Huang, The Harker School, San Jose, California, James Webb Space Telescope completes 1.5million kilometer journey Honorable mention – Olivia Bodner, Sparkman High School, Ardmore, Alabama, Mental Health Takes Toll on Teens
Feature Story
First place – Greta Miller , Eleanor Creelman and Ari Bowman, Emmaus High School, Emmaus, Pennsylvania, “Self-medication: When substance abuse and mental health collide.” Second place – Tess Warren, Sparkman High School, Huntsville, Alabama, “Stop Asian Hate, Instead Celebrate.” Third place – Ellyson Bradford, Henry Chilcoat and Sophia Finkbeiner, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas, “Sleep Deprivation An Endless Cycle.” Honorable mention – Kyla Henige, McHenry Community High School, McHenry, Illinois, “You are not alone”
Sports Story
First place – Delaney Cairns, Huntley High School, Huntley, Illinois, “Dancer jumps back in after ATV accident” Second place – Hyunsung Na, Marcus High School, Flower Mound, Texas, “Leaving the mats.” Third place – Jane Jeong, Ravneet Kaur and Kendell Simpson, Noblesville High School, Noblesville, Indiana, “Nevertheless, She Persisted” Honorable mention – Julius Diossa, Bellwood-Antis High School, Bellwood, Pennsylvania, “In Caracciolo, the Devils have lost a crucial part of their football team.” Honorable mention – Kyla Davidson, Sparkman High, Harvest, Alabama, "Senior Reaches New Heights for Upcoming Season.”
Columns or Blog
First place – Desiree Luo, The Harker School, San Jose, California, “Celebrating Buster Posey/Giants vs Dodgers: a rivalry for the ages.” Second place – Oliver Shane, Jupiter, Florida, “Oliver's Diabetic Journey.” Third place -- Anna Rasgorshek, Marian High School, Omaha, Nebraska, “Totally bANNAs: Not-so-dumb blondes; Mental health over medals.”
Review
First place – Drake Johnson, Ben Davis High School, Indianapolis, Indiana, This game is a masterpiece Second place – Alyssa Rose, Southwest Career & Technical Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada, Combine Latin, Italian Foods at Padrino’s Latin Bar and Grill Third place – Owen Silzer, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas, Halloween Candy Review Honorable mention – Carli Ahsan, Marian High School, Omaha, Nebraska, 'Selling Tampa' encourages a false narrative for women of color .”
News or Feature Photo
First place – Maggie Merckens, Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas, Candle Lighting Second place – Ravneet Kaur and Jane Jeong, Noblesville High School, Noblesville, Indiana, Andie Z. portrait Third place – Trista Truong, Southside High School, Fort Smith, Arkansas, Southern Senior
Sports Photo
First place – Zoe Gillespie, Westside High School, Omaha, Nebraska, PHOTO GALLERY: Boys Varsity Basketball vs Millard North Second place – Rachel Bingham, Shawnee Mission East, Fairway, Kansas, Pop-up Football Third place – Alexa Coughlan, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas, Boys Swim Well at Final Meet
Cartooning
First place – Elleiana Green, Marian High School, Omaha, Nebraska, Gerrymandering Second place – Sadie Kennedy, Emmaus High School, Emmaus, Pennsylvania, Why inclusive sex education is vital to EPSD students and their health Third place – Samantha Galang, Sunny Hills High School, Fullerton, California, This is the Lancer Way: Spring Fever Honorable mention – Livi Nagorka, Shawnee Mission Northwest, Shawnee, Kansas, Barbie in Blue Honorable mention – Colm Simmons, Little Rock Central High School, Little Rock, Arkansas, Top 10 Birthdays Gone Wrong
Graphics/Photo Illustration
First place – Olivia Lake, Sparkman High School, Madison, Alabama, Silent Connection Second place – Claire Moore, Shawnee Mission Northwest, Lenexa, Kansas, The Bigger Picture Third place – Gina Bae, Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, California, Gone to the Eggstreme Honorable mention – Jenny Huang and Aayushi Wadhawan, Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, Illinois, Killing the Game
Single Page Layout
First place -- Peyton Moore, Shawnee Mission East, Prairie Village, Kansas, “The Boys (Are Almost) Back.” Second place – Shannon Moser and Kyla Smith, Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, Illinois, “Worlds Fair.” Third place – Maddie Adam, Marian High School, Omaha, Nebraska, The Network Front Page Nov/Dec 2021. Honorable mention -- Art: Claire Tolles, Writer: Milla Hirsh, Photographer: Frances Carlson, Laguna Blanca School, Santa Barbara, California, “a la mode.”
Double-truck Layout
First place – Delaney Davis, Westside High School, Omaha, Nebraska, Lademi Davies: How one student manages a complex balancing act Second place – Kate Schreiber, Kirkwood High School, St. Louis, Missouri, Producing Perfection Third place – Madeline Phuong, Homestead High School, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Bus Driver Shortage Honorable mention – Palina Kuzmina, Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, California, Berghout Breaks Out Honorable mention – Bria Howard, Sparkman High School, Harvest, Alabama, Designing for the Catwalk Honorable mention – Natalie King and Malini Pillai, Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, Illinois, COV-Ingenious or COV-Ignorance?
Environment
First place – Rebecca Beckas and Alyssa Hillwig, Shaler Area High School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, “Sustainability class having impact on students and, community" Second place – Hudson Fox, Carlmont High School, San Carlos, California, “Climate legislation signals a renewed focus on the San Francisco Bay.” Third place – Meghan Wysocki, Grosse Pointe South High School, Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Beyond the Pointes: Modern segregation through environmental racism Honorable mention -- Madeline Leland, Turner Wittstruck, Alexis Smith, and Haley Johnson, Millard South High School, Omaha, Nebraska, “Conscious Consumerism.”
Radio Prepared Report
First place – Nyah Simpson and Malina Wong, Carlmont High School, Belmont, California, Scot Scoop Unsolved Ep. 3: The Mysterious Disappearance of Paul Farmer Second place – Kevin Young, Mount Pleasant High School, Wilmington, Delaware, Deon - School Dress Code Third place – Lucy Scorziello, Stamford High School, Stamford, Connecticut, WGCH News Segment - November 2021
Radio/Television Interview or Talk Show
First place – Claire Cody and Selma Fuseni, Stamford High School, Stamford, Connecticut, Mayoral Candidates Discuss Education Second place – Chesney Evert, Carlmont High School, Belmont, California, Red, White, & True Ep.4: You're breaking up with me because I'm too...woke? Third place – Talyea Melton, Mount Pleasant High School, Wilmington, Delaware, Talyea - Great Thanksgiving Listen Honorable mention – Erik Dedo and Dylan Barnas, Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Flossmoor, Illinois, Sports Chat Honorable mention – Dru Kelley and Will Gordon, Lakeside High School, Hot Springs, Arkansas, Run Down Podcast
Best Newscast: Radio or Television
First place – Blake Dawson, Marissa Perkins, Hannah Kinkead, and Will Turner, Noblesville High School, Noblesville, Indiana, round The County May 27, 2021 Second place – Payton Hostetler and Grant Barcheck, Uniontown Area Senior High School, Uniontown, Pennsylvania, 3/13/21 UHS News - One Year Later - Social Distance Edition Third place – Carson Burnam, Aidan Grigsby, Emma Crowe and James Johnson, Lakeside High School, Hot Springs, Arkansas, A Lakeside TV Special Looking into Education during Pandemic Honorable mention -- The Phoenix Times, Albuquerque School of Excellence, Albuquerque, New Mexico, ASE NEWS - Year End Report 2021 Honorable mention – Jared Dillard, Auburn High School, Auburn, Alabama, Tiger TV | Feb 11, 2021
Video News Story
First place – Payton Hostetler, Uniontown Area Senior High School, Uniontown, Pennsylvania, The Impact of COVID-19 on UHS Second place – Aneesh Tiwari, Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, California, The Impact of Palo Alto's Decision to Open University Avenue Third place – Jacob Habel, Huntley High School, Huntley, Illinois, HHS Journalism Team Wins IHSA State Honorable mention – Nina Scroggin and Hannah Hiatt, Noblesville High School, Noblesville, Indiana, Pandemic Pets Honorable mention – Ava Iannucci, Padua Academy, Wilmington, Delaware, Knit-a-Square
Video Feature Story
First place – Claire Hudnell, Lakeside High School, Hot Springs, Arkansas, Vision Interrupted Second place – Elizabeth Myers and Hannah Hiatt, Noblesville High School, Noblesville, Indiana,The Triple Threat Third place – Cameron White, Westside High School, Omaha, Nebraska, Walt and Benny | A Story of Two Unlikely Friends Honorable mention – Rachel Becker, Pine Crest School, Pompano Beach, Florida, Everyday Heroes: Feeding the Homeless Honorable mention – Vincent Wong, Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, California, The Rise of Podcasts
Video Sports Story
First place – Ella Aceves and Eliya Hobson, Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Flossmoor, Illinois, HF Fields Get Turf Second place – Savannah Jarman and Donovan Powell, Wichita High School Southeast, Wichita, Kansas, Transgender Sports Bill Third place – Victor Lopez, Lakeside High School, Hot Springs, Arkansas, Rams Football All Access 2021: Episode 6 Honorable mention – Sayne Jeong and Niah Johnson, Noblesville High School, Noblesville, Indiana, Going For The Goal
Yearbook Layout
First place – Lucy Bickel, Eastern Lebanon County School District, Myerstown, Pennsylvania, Like & Comment - Social Media Spread Second place – Jayanna Curry, Sparkman High School, Harvest, Alabama, Letting the Cat Out Third place – Nina Kudlacz, Ralston High School, Ralston, Nebraska, Spring Play Honorable mention – Alan Ong and Sandra Amores, Southwest Career & Technical Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada, Don’t Get Us Started Opening Honorable mention – Abbey Smith, Har-Ber High School, Springdale, Arkansas, Do It Yourself Honorable mention – Jeb Chrisman, Gunn High School, Palo Alto, California, Day 3 double spread
Yearbook Photo
First place – Sydney Laput, Huntley High School, Huntley, Illinois, Ready, Aim, Fire Second place – Nathan Lamkin, Midway High School, Waco, Texas, Teacher Laugh – Graduation Third place – Kyleigh Southepmany, Lexington High School, Lexington, Nebraska, Sideline Hype Honorable mention – Jayden Mattis, Kiski Area High School, Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, Welds well
Yearbook Copywriting
First place – Kylie Daniell, Midway High School, Waco, Texas, “Pandemic Club.” Second place – Abigail Stephenson and Alex Welch, Lawrence North High School, Indianapolis, Indiana, “Introducing Nugget.” Third place – Liah Haines, Lexington High School, Lexington, Nebraska, “At Any Minute We Got This.” Honorable mention – Counts Shanks, Har-Ber High School, Springdale, Arkansas, “Natalie Davey: From Intern to the Classroom, English Teacher Sparked Community.” Honorable mention – Sophia Cheng, Monta Vista High School, Cupertino, California, “The Fight for Feminism.” Honorable mention – Ronan McGuire, Roycemore School, Evanston, Illinois, “What're Your Pronouns?”
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